Improvement in folding-machines



6 Sheets-Sheet I.

S. D.ITUCKER.

FOLDING-MACHINE. No. 192,035, Pawnted June'1Z,1$77.@

' I f in 0 21 I STEPHEN, I 'IZTKEIS,

HTTOEJ'YE Y5.

IN. PETERS, FNOTO-LITHOGRAPNEH. WASHINGTON. D. C.

' 6 Sheets-Sheet Z. S. D. TUCKER. FOLDING-MACHINE.

Patented June 12, 18 77.

EPHL'NH. 'FJcKE HTTOFNEi'g,

N-PETERS. Puuwumosauuziz. WASHINGTON, u. c,

I GSheets-Sheet 3. S. D. TUCKER.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

No. 192.035'. PatentedJune 12.1877.

.PEYEHS. PHOTWLITNOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D. Q

- 6 SheetS-Sheet 5; S. D. TUCKER. FOLDING-MACHINE.

Pate

nted June 12, 1877.

1720611 tor le zlcen Eeker which carries gripers or fingers 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

STEPHEN D. TUCKER, OF NEW YORK,

YIMPROVEMENT in FOLDING-MLA'CHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 192,035, dated June 12, 1877; application filed December 1, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that- 1;,STEPHEN Dg-TUOKER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have'inven'ted a certain new and useful Improvement in Paper-Folding Machines, of

which the following is a specification:

- In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is anend elevation, Fig. 2 a righthand side elevation, Fig. 3 a left-hand side elevation, Fig. 4 a sectional elevation, Fig. 5 a longitudinal section of the main cylinder and its hangings,-Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 details there range of action of this folding mechanism, and

by its action folded one or more times and delivered. The invention consists principally in a novel construction and mode of operating the foldin g-rollers, which coact with'the rotating folding-hlade carrier; but it also includes various details, as will more fully hereinafterappear. The rotating folding-blade carrier is shown as a cylinder, 22,mounted in suitable bearings in aiframe work, and supporting in a longitudinal recess in'its periphery a shaft, 2, This shaft is rocked to open the fingers by means of its crank 11 engaging with the cam-plate 12 fixed to the frame-work. It is rocked to close the fingers down upon the surface of the cylinder by means of a spring-seated rod,'13, hung to the rock-arm 4, and guided in an eye, 14, upon the opposite end of the cylinder.

Opposite to the point occupied by the shaft 2 the cylinder is provided with a recess, 15, within which the folding-blade 10 operates. This folding-blade is hung at its opposite ends to arms 1 projecting from the rings 16, the actuating eccentric 49 of which surrounds the shaft 9 of the cylinder 22, but is fast to the frame-work, as is seen in Figs. 5 and 7. 1

i 1 By this constructionof parts-the said blade is automatically projected from and drawn into CASE B.

the cylinder 22 ateach revolution thereof, for a purpose yet to be explained. v v I A vibrating frame-Work, consisting of arms 17 fastupon a sleeve, 50, which surrounds the shaft 18, has mounted in suitable bearings at its upper extremity folding-rollers 5 and 6, whose peripheries are in working contact, and in suitable arms projecting nearly at right angles to said frame a second pair of foldingrollers, 7 and 8, are inlike manner journaled. A tape-roller, 19, is journaled in this same frame at a point opposite the upper roller 7 of the second pair of folding-rollers, which taperoller and said upper folding-roller are connected with the first pair of folding-rollers 5 and 6 by tapes 20 and 21.- A series of curved arms, 45, which constitute a guideway, project from before the second pair of foldingrollers in a direction toward the delivery side of the machine. 1 p

" This frame 17 also supports a folding-blade, 23, connected by enema-4; with a shaft, 25, whose-cranked end-26 isrdnnected by a rod, 27, to a pin,.28 ejecting from the side of the pulley29 fiire on the shaft of the cylinder 22, and'which' imparts motion to a pulley, 30, on the shaft 18 by means of a belt, 31.

Motion is imparted to the shaft 9 of the cylinder 22 by means of a toothed wheel, 33,

in any well-known manner.

A connectingrod, 35, pivoted to the wheel 33 imparts motion to the rock-arm 36 fast to the hollow-shaft 50, which latteris thereby rocked to oscillate theframe 17 and the device it carries. Q

Delivering-rollers 37 and '38 are drivenby a belt, 39, from a pulley, 40, on the shaft 18, the roller 37 imparting motion to the roller 3 8 through gear-wheels 51 and 52, and to the tapes 41'and pulleys 42. The'first folding rollers are driven by a belt, 43, from. pulley 44 on shaft 18, which belt, passing around an idler, 46, actuates a pulley, 47, on roller 5; Roller 5 communicates motion to the roller7 by means of' the endless tapes 21, and theroll'ers 7 8, and "119 are geared. together, communicating motion toone another, and by the tapes 20' to the roller 6. The rollersr5, 6,7,- 8,'and 19 thus revolvein perfect unison.

- The mechanism operatesasfollows: Sheets of paper, or similar fabric, taken singly from a pile upon the feed-table 60, or. received from a printing mechanism, wherein they are severed automatically from a continuous web, are successively delivered within the range of action of the. griping-fingers 3, carried by the cylinder 22, when said fingers are in the open position, shown in Figs. 4 and 12. The sheet thus fed is seized by the fingers 3, which close and clamp its leading edge upon the cylinder 22, as in Fig. 14. The cylinder constantly rotates in the direction of the arrow, and carries the sheet with it in its circular course, until said sheet is released from the hold of the griping-fingers. When its leading end has reached the position shown in Fig. 13, the vibrating-frame17 will havebeen rocked to the position therein shown and the folding-bladewillhave: been partially protruded from the. cylinder, carryingthe sheet outward with it and supporting it upon its edge, as is,also seen in Fig. 13. After reaching this position, which is the limit of its motion in the direction of thearrow, Fig. 13-, the vibrating frame 17 will be moved in a contrary direction and travel with the cylinder 22, the said frame being actuated sothat the curvilinear movement ofv the folding-rollers 5 6 it carries shall be equal to the surfacespeed of the folding-blade at its point of contact with the rollers. As the cylinder 22tcontinues its rotation, carrying the sheet with it,

. the folding-blade 10 will, by the action of the eccentrics 49, be gradually projectedfrom the cylinder until it has reached thelimit of its protrusion, which is accomplished-when it arrives at the position shown in. Fig. 12, at which time the frame 17 ,havin g been vibrated into the position thereinshown, will have received the said folding-blade. fully between its folding-rollers, whereby the sheet will have been forced into the} nipof the said rollers. The griping-fingers, release.the leading end.

of the sheet at the-same moment, and, the sheet, now free, has its folded edgegriped by the folding rollers, and, by their rotary ,mo-

tion is fed through them. The continued rotation of the cylinder 2 2v withdraws the folding-blade from the rollers, and the griping. fingers-are opened to receive a new sheet, as-

in Fig. 4. The vibrating frame continues to move in the same direction astheeylinder, during. which. movement the tapes20 and 21 carry the foldedsheetldown before the second folding-rollers, as in Fig. 14, but this movementof it is not. completed, until the frame, reaching thelimit of its movementin the direction of the arrow in Fig. 14, is rvibrated in the opposite direction, reaching the. limitofwhich, as in Fig. 13, the folding-blade 23 is direction, the .second foldingrollers will de-,

guided by the conductor 45, and the same will'be fed out of the machine, or to auxiliary folding devices.

As the sheet emerges from the folding-rollers 7 8 its doubled edge may be delivered to the rollers, as hereinbefore described, or to any suitable. receiving devices, such as nippers which open to receive, close to hold, and

it will act as a blade-carrier only, in which case it may be made up of a frame-work. Sheetswill then be introduced; by means, of tapes'leading between-the said cylinderand the path of travel of the folding-rollers 5 6, and introducing the sheets at proper intervals, so that the co-operation of the folding- 'blade and folding-rollers will cause the said sheets to be doubled on the proper line.

In such construction the blade will, .of course, be cut away, so as not to interfere with the tapes.

Where the tapes are-used to feed the sheet, afolding-bladc, hung in fixed bearings, so as to be reciprocated therein, and. thus protrud:

ed at the proper timeto act upon the=sheet and retract to .clearthe path of travel of the foldingmollers. and sheet, might be-employed.

While a folding-blade reciprocated radially in its carrier has been particularly hereinbefore described, itis to be observed that the said blade may be fixed in. its rotating carrier without impairing the efficiency of its co-operation with the first folding-rollers, since the folding-blade carrier and the folding-roller carryingframe can be made to move in such arcs as will cause the fixed blade to properly enter and leave said folding-rollersin the act of doubling the sheet.

As thefolding-blade 23 actson the sheet just as the swinging frame is stopped at its I return stroke, it is evident, that the blade need notnecessarily be pivoted in the frame,

but may turn in fixed bearings.

Itam aware of the mechanism shown in English Patent No. 1,581 for 1870, which is embodiedjin an application for-Letters Patent; 0f the United States.

What, therefore, is claimed is-- 1. A pair of folding-rollers, as 5 6, mounted in anioscillating or swinging frame, which jmoves them to and fro to approach, engage, and pass a folding-blade in combination therewithto double or fold a sheet, substantially.

, as described; vibratedto double the once-folded sheet into 1 the nipof' thesecondfolding-rollers. Astheframe isasecond time rocked in.the.opposite 2 The combination of a revolving foldingblade carrier with a. pair of folding-rollers :mounted in an oscillating or swinging frame, substantially as described.

liver the twice-folded sheet to the nip of thee delivering-rollers 37 38, as in Fig. 14, itbeing.

3. The combinationof a revolving carrier,

ing or swinging frame, substantially as described.

4. The combination of afolding-blade mounted in a moving carrier with the folding-rollers 5 6 7 8 and vibrating folding-blade 23 supported in an oscillating or .swinging frame, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a single stationary sheet-nipping device, of a pair of sheetdelivering rollers carried by a frame, which oscillates or swings to and from said sheetnipping device, all substantially as described.

6. The combination of a vibrating frame,

rollers 7 8, angular or inclined conductor 45,

and rollers 37 38, all substantially as described.

7. The combination, with rollers 7 8 and rollers 37 38, of a frame oscillating or swinging to carry the rollers 7 8 to and from the rollers 37 38 to deliver the sheets to the latter, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

STEPHEN D. TUCKER.

Witnesses:

H. BERNARD GOMIBERS, OYBILLE OARREAU. 

